The Date Today
by Clairity
Summary: It's Claire's birthday and she doesn't even know. What?


**The Date Today**

Claire Redfield, leader of the convoy approached Kmart inside the Hummer. She was about to tell the teen about the good news when the latter peered up from the window of the Hummer.

"Hey!" Kmart happily greeted the redhead.

"Kmart! You scared me to death!" Claire hissed while Kmart rolled out on the Hummer, laughing so hard from the leader's reaction.

"I'm sorry Claire. You look so funny from your reaction." Kmart said, still smiling from Claire's reaction. The redhead rolled her eyes and opened the front passenger's seat door.

"Come on now. The mall is clear."

"Hey, do you know what the date today is?" Kmart asked. Claire raised an eyebrow as she started to calculate to figure out what the date today is since the apocalypse happened.

"Sorry, I lost track. Why?" the redhead replied.

"What? You really did?" Kmart narrowed her eyes from the convoy leader's response.

"Why? Is something so special today?" the two were interrupted when Alice approached them.

"Hey ladies, shall we go on now?" Alice asked and smiled at the two.

"Alice, do you know what the date today is?" Kmart asked the older woman.

Just like what Claire did, Alice raised an eyebrow and tried to remember the date today. "Sorry, but no."

"What is it with the date today?" Claire asked, still confused.

"Nothing." Then Kmart jumped off the Hummer with a wide smile on her face. Claire and Alice were left there in confusion.

"What is it with her?" Alice asked Claire. Claire just shrugged and followed Kmart. Alice trailed behind Claire, still in confusion.

Alice and Carlos walked together and found Kmart lunging to the pile of books at the second floor of the mall. The teen looked so stressed, like she couldn't find the book she was looking for. Alice and Carlos looked at each other and got nearer to the quiet teen.

"Kmart, need some help?" Carlos asked. The teen didn't bother to look at him as she replied to his question.

"No need, I'm sure I can find it." Kmart said as she scattered all the books on the floor.

"Come on K, what book are you looking for?" Alice asked and neared Kmart. The two were taken aback when Kmart shouted, holding a book of whatever title it has.

"I found it!" Kmart happily declared and looked at the two people behind her. Then out of the blue, Claire came into view.

"What did you find?" Claire asked. Kmart hurriedly hid the book from her behind and smiled at Claire.

"N-nothing. Just a book." Kmart stuttered.

"Just a book? So what's the point of hiding it from me?" the redhead asked. Kmart fell silent; she doesn't want Claire to find what the book is about so she didn't say anything to the leader. Good thing, Betty called out for Claire.

"We'll talk about it later." Claire said and walked away from the three. Kmart sighed in relief as the two stared at her.

"Okay, what is this hiding thing all about, huh?" Alice asked.

"Didn't you really know the date today?"

"I told you, I don't have any clue. Carlos, do you know the date today?" Alice looked at Carlos.

"No." Carlos answered. Kmart gave up and sighed.

"Today is Claire's birthday and she's already thirty." Kmart informed the two. Alice and Carlos looked at each other again then to Kmart.

"So, that was what all about?" Alice asked, referring to the incident earlier.

"Aha. And this book…" Kmart waved the book she found. "This is my birthday gift to her." The two couldn't seem to recover from Kmart's revelation. They never remember that it's the convoy leader's birthday today.

"So, maybe you can help me out surprise her." Alice sat down beside her and smiled at her.

"You're such a sweet young lady. Sure we can help you."

The scavenging finally last. They got everything they need; food, ammo, clothes and everything useful to them. Claire took charge of loading everything in their cargo truck while Kmart and Alice helped Otto served the food for the convoy and Carlos helped Mikey to build up the perimeter. After an hour or so, Alice approached Claire to tell her that it's already time for her to eat.

"Hey." Alice greeted.

"Hey." Claire smiled at the blonde woman.

"Time to eat." Alice said. Claire slammed the door at the back of the truck.

"Oh, yeah I almost forgot."

"Because you're too busy. You almost forgot everything." Alice smirked.

"And what is that suppose to mean, blondie?" Claire put a hand on her hip.

"Nothing." Alice lied and smiled again. "Come one, you need to eat."

It's already dark, and Claire, Alice, Kmart, Carlos, Mikey, Otto, Betty and LJ are gathered in the campfire, having all the fun, drinking, laughing and telling each other's story.

"Hey, campers do you have any smoke?" LJ asked all of them.

"Sorry bud, but I'm already out." – Carlos.

"I don't smoke." –Kmart and Mikey.

"Oh, you got everything I have." –Betty.

"Sorry, can't do." – Otto.

"I'm already out too." – Alice.

"You can have mine LJ." Claire said and smiled at her friend.

"Great! You're such an angel." LJ said and smiled widely.

"No!" Kmart, Alice and Carlos said in unison. Claire and the others stopped from the sudden exclamation of the three.

"Why not?" LJ asked.

"Because that's hers." Alice said.

"But she already gave it to me."

"Okay guys why are you so acting so weird today?" Claire couldn't contain the weirdness of her friends anymore. Alice nudged Kmart beside her and the teen glared at her.

"By the way, why are we drinking tonight? Is there an occasion?" Betty asked the group.

"Well, I found this bottle of champagne in the mall and I feel like celebrating tonight, I mean today." Carlos said with a smile.

"Is there something you're not telling me guys? Alice? Kmart? Carlos?" Claire asked again.

"Kmart." Alice whispered at the teen.

"Oh- I- I need to go back to the Hummer." Kmart stood up.

Alice and Carlos looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "I thought you're going to…" Alice didn't finish her sentence when Kmart hurriedly ran off back to the Hummer.

"She's hiding something, isn't she?" Claire asked Alice and Carlos. "And you two, you're hiding something from me too."

Alice tried to smile. She's not really good in hiding and so is Carlos. "I think it would be better if you ask Kmart now. She has something just for you." Now it's Claire's turn to raise an eyebrow. She gave up when she realized that her two friends will not tell her anything so she stood up and followed Kmart in the Hummer.

Claire found Kmart sitting in the front passenger seat holding a book against her chest. Claire opened the driver's seat door and slid in. "So, what is this all about, K? You know you can't hide anything from me."

"Claire didn't you really know the date today?" Kmart asked the redhead.

"Kmart if I know I'll tell you. But I really don't so why don't you just tell me everything."

Kmart sighed, realizing that the leader doesn't really know that it's her birthday today. "This book is all about motor bikes and I looked for it just for you." Kmart handed Claire the book she found who is still in the state of confusion. "I know you like motor bikes."

"Now I'm totally confused, K. Just tell everything to me, straight to the point."

"Fine. Happy birthday Claire." Kmart greeted with a smile and hugged the leader.

Claire got more shock when she heard everything. Sure it's her birthday today. Why did she forget about it? Well, the world is already ruined so why bother to remember each every occasion? Claire was touched by Kmart's gesture that she found herself curling her arms around Kmart's waist and hugged her little sister tightly. She didn't expect this. Tears of joy fell from her eyes and she wiped it off as Kmart pulled herself away from the embrace.

"Did you like my gift to you?" Kmart asked.

"Of course, why wouldn't I? Thank you." Claire said with a smile and touched Kmart's cheek.

"By the way I wrote a note for you and I slid it inside that book. Maybe you could read it later?" and again Claire pulled Kmart in a tight embrace.

"Claire? Are you okay?" Kmart asked.

"I'm just happy. Thank you." Then her tears began to roll down her cheeks again.

"You're welcome Claire."

"Ahem." They heard someone from Claire's behind. The two looked outside and found Alice and Carlos smiling at them.

"What's this crying all about?" Alice asked. Claire jumped off the Hummer and hugged the two. Carlos almost dropped the bottle of champagne he's holding.

"Well, happy birthday Claire." Alice and Carlos said in unison. Then Claire's tears began to roll harder.

"Thank you." Soon enough, Kmart joined the three.

After a while, Claire pulled herself away from the embrace and wiped her tears. Oh her eyes looked swollen now. "So, how old are you again? Thirty? Oh so old." Carlos joked and everyone laughed.

"Not as old as you, old man." Claire smirked.

"So, shall we continue our celebration?" Alice asked.

"I love that." Kmart replied.

And the four of them, left for the campfire again. Claire never felt this happy since the apocalypse happened. At least there are still people who still love her for who she is, and remember her all the time.

**AN: Sucky? I know haha. It just popped into my mind so I decided to write it down and published it hehe**


End file.
